Birth date: Oct 12, 1921 Death date: Jan 19, 2014
Thomas C. Witherspoon, age 92 of East China Twp., formerly of Dearborn, died January 19, 2014. Thomas was born October 12, 1921 in Detroit to the late Thomas and Gabrielle Witherspoon. On July 6, 1946 he married Catherine Hubbard. Read Obituary
Tom and his wife helped out our family as my father, Ed, posted below. I was just a teenager but I watched this family (Tom leading the way) help out our Aunt Jo and want nothing in return. What a great example! Thank you for all that you did Tom.
Thought about Tom today and reluctantly searched the obituaries. Sadly I found his smiling face. Tom was a good a man as you will find anywhere. I was able to meet him
later in life when he was in his late 70's. He stepped in and assisted my Aunt, who lived
across the street on Miller Rd. He helped her for many years and never asked for anything in return. Tom told me he would be paid with interest in heaven. Thinking about him makes me want to help someone in need, the way he helped my Aunt Jo.
I am sad that I did not keep in touch, but I am sending prayers his way as Easter 2018
approaches...................Ed Fiedor
Mr Witherspoon just came to my mind....I hadnt seen nor heard from him in decades. I decided to google search him to see how he was doing. Sadly, that brought me here. He was the single most inspiring educator in my life. He was firm and compassionate, among many other positive personal attributes. A great great great man, who touched MANY lives over the years! I met the whirling wind (his paddle), on many occasions...lol I also ate a bunch of chocolate bars that I was supposed to sell for my 6th grade Washington trip! I wasnt supposed to go but Mr. Witherspoon gave me the encouragement and direction to get the job done, and I did. He believed in me, and because he believed in me, I believed in me. He taught me that anything can be accomplished as long as you stuck with it and put your mind into it. They are beliefs I carry and will continue to carry for the remainder of my life. I lived a couple of blocks away from his house on Miller road and would often stop by to see him on my way to Miller swamps. Over time, I moved away and lost track of Mr. Witherspoon, but his memories are burned in my mind and soul. The world lost a great one. He is dearly missed.
Kirk Lytwyn
6th Grade class of 1980
In fact, Im pretty sure that picture above is MY class! The left hand part of the picture is missing....thats where I was.
I didn't know he'd passed, but am sorry to hear it. Mr. Witherspoon went to school with my mother, I believe K-12.
He was a wonderful teacher, I recall he encouraged me when I expressed an interest in biology (dissection of a frog actually), and I can recall his ability to silence a too noisy cafeteria with a simple, yet LOUD Hey!
He commanded respect, but he also shared so many great qualities. We collected coins together, we picked through rocks, and found countless trilobites and brachiopods in Sylvania, and I recall their Airstream, which always looked like a thermos to me!
I disappointed him once though, as a young adult, and I'll always regret that
He was a great man, a great dad, and a great teacher, and while he will be missed, he's left a positive mark on everyone he ever met!
Just learned of Tom's passing. I can truly say he was the biggest influence on my professional future. I also treasure the fossil digs in Sylvania ,Ohio like so many others. Tom instilled in me an interest in the sciences that led me to a career in Dentistry. I was fortunate to rekindle our friendship by becoming his and Catherine's Dentist for 25 years. We should all be so fortunate to have a mentor and friend as Tom Witherspoon. My sympathy goes to his sons and their families. Dr. Victor Barkoski
I was saddened to hear of Tom's passing a couple of day ago. Tom was my mentor at McDonald School in Dearborn. He wanted me to continue the Washington DC trips after he retired. I will always remember his kind patience and unforgettable laugh. He & Cathy were a great match as I had the pleasure of knowing her on the last DC trip we made together. I last saw them three years ago at my retirement party. He was a devoted teacher and a great human being. Students were constantly returning and asking me about Tom and how he was doing. He was the heart of McDonald School. Every time I have gone down Miller Road, Tom & Cathy have come to my mind. I always looked for their camper in their yard.
He was loved by many. He will be missed by many. May God bless & comfort you and your family, Cathy!
Fred Seitz
I knew him as Uncle Tom. It is no exagerration to say that he was a significant influence in leading me toward the academic and intellectual pursuits I engaged in later in life. In the summer of 1993, uncle Tom offered to take my childhood friend and I on a fossil hunting tour of some of the hills in Ontario. We dug up incredible, fascinating fossilized specimens of ancient animals, with Tom reciting their names, paleontological eras, and how to identify them. As a youngster, I was rather obsessed with geology, rocks, and fossils. His time and enthusiasm is something that to this day I look back upon with wonder and gratitude.
A fine man and great teacher. Mr. Witherspoon was my 6th grade teacher in '71 or '72. Selling candy to pay for the DC trip, science (the marble gun), fossil hunting in Sylvania Ohio, coin collecting and the Safety Patrol. Many great memories. Than you sir. RIP. - Bob Price
Our sympathy to the Witherspoon family from our family. I hope you find some comfort in kind words that so many have for a great man. Mr. Witherspoon had a reputation as the McDonald school disciplinarian. Other kids would say "be careful if you do that you'll have to go see Mr. Witherspoon and he will paddle you with Mr. Witherspoon's Whirling Wind Paddle" (or something like that). Not sure I ever saw the paddle, with the holes drilled in it so it would whistle when he swung it. I also never knew any kid that was hit with it. So lots of kids were afraid of him (before they got to know him of course.) Anyhow, my earliest memory is in first grade I fell off the monkey bars and hit my head on to the hard ashphalt. Mr. Witherspoon sat with me and took out his white pressed handkerchief and held it on my bleeding head while we waited for additional help. In fourth grade I responded to an invitation to join a coin club organized by Mr. Witherspoon. In that one meeting he inspired all of us to start looking through our change, our parents change and any change for old coins hoping to find the rare ones. That first week I found a 1910 Lincoln Penny in my mom's purse. I still have that penny and my original collection book. A few years later when I decided to get the the coin collecting merit badge, I did not need to study at all. It seems, Mr. WItherspon had already taught me more than enough to meet the badge requirements. I went on several memorable and exciting fossil hunting trips with Mr. WItherspoon as did my siblings. I can still here his voice talking about trilobites and brachiopods. My brother and my dad went on one of the D.C. trips with him and returned with great pictures and memories. Years later, Mr. Witherspoon came to my dad's funeral and spoke with us all about our lives about the influence of my dad and of his appreciation of my dad. Mr. Witherspoon was a great enthusiastic teacher and a great person. We are all better for having known him. As former students we know how fortunate we were and remain a proud part of his huge legacy.
